Thoughts on Iowa basketball
With the departure of Isaiah Moss, we look at where things stand for Iowa basketball
Tom Kakert • HawkeyeReport.com
@hawkeyereport
If you thought transfer season had come and gone, think again.
On Thursday, Isaiah Moss announced that he would be leaving the Iowa basketball program and play his senior season elsewhere. A year ago, Moss tested the NBA draft waters. This time he’s headed for the transfer portal. Moss was a three year starter for the Hawkeyes and averaged 9.2 points per game this past season and shot 42.1% from three point range.
His departure means that two players from the Iowa roster have transferred. Shortly after the season, Maishe Dailey announced he would be leaving the Iowa program and he recently announced that he was transferring to Akron, which is close to his home in Ohio. Leading scorer Tyler Cook is in the process of testing the NBA Draft process for the second year in a row and isn’t expected to return for his senior season.
It’s also worth mentioning that freshman wing Joe Wieskamp has also put his name into the NBA Draft, but he has not hired an agent and has said he expects to return for his sophomore season.
Iowa also lost Nicholas Baer to the more traditional route of graduation, so there’s been a little bit more turnover or potential turnover than most thought after the season.
The Hawkeyes averaged 78.3 points per game last season. With the departures of Baer, Moss, Dailey, and likely Cook, Iowa has lost 42% of their scoring. No matter how you slice it that’s a fairly significant hit.
There has been a pretty spirited discussion during the off-season about whether Iowa would be better without Cook and now Moss or Dailey on the roster. The answer to that is probably no.
It’s also been suggested that Iowa could be worse without the departed players and that answer is also probably I don’t know.
What I do know is that Iowa basketball will be different next year.
Having Cook and Moss back would certainly help the Hawkeyes. They were two of the better scoring options and in the case of Cook, he commanded a pretty good amount of attention from opposing teams. Moss was certainly up and down at times, but there were some nights where he absolutely kept his team in the game with scoring outbursts.
Iowa could make up for the loss of Cook, at least in terms of the actual numbers, with the remaining big men on the roster. Luka Garza has proven himself in the Big Ten and he’s a legitimate scoring option on the low block and as a shooter in pick and pop situations. This past season he averaged 13.1 points per game and I would expect he will be up over 15 points per game next year.
Ryan Kriener had a really nice junior year and showed flashes of the potential to have a real impact on games. Last season he averaged 6 points per game in Big Ten contests and showed that he and Garza could function very well on the floor together.
The Hawkeyes also have Cordell Pemsl and Jack Nunge returning from redshirt seasons. Pemsl played in two games this past year and averaged 4 points per game. He gave the Hawkeyes a real emotional lift in their win over Iowa State. In his last full season, the junior from Dubuque averaged 5.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in just over 16 minutes per game.
Nunge elected to redshirt last year to add weight and strength to his frame. He did just that, according to Fran McCaffery, and is up to 250 pounds. McCaffery said in Columbus at the NCAA Tournament that Nunge was playing as well as anyone in the team in practice. In his freshman year, Nunge averaged 5.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in just under 16 minutes of action per game.
Combine those two returning players’ totals up and you have 11.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Cook averaged 14.5 points and 7.6 rebounds, so it’s not a stretch to think that both players can reach or exceed Cook’s totals from this past season.
The three backcourt positions are where the greatest intrigue will exist.
Assuming Wieskamp is back, which is pretty safe to assume at this point, he should continue to improve upon his 11.1 points per game average next season. He’s in pen as the starter at the three position for Iowa and will likely be backed up by four star forward Patrick McCaffery, who will join the team this fall. McCaffery still needs to continue to add weight to his frame, but there’s no question he’s a very talented and unselfish player.
The two guard is there the departure of Moss really hurts. He was the starter and redshirt freshman C.J. Fredrick was in line to be his backup. The Iowa coaches really raved about Fredrick as a player and shooter when we talked to them during the NCAA Tournament. Having said that, starting and playing more significant minutes and coming off the bench for 15 minutes a game are two different animals. I think Fredrick can be good, but it’s probably become the biggest unknown for the Iowa basketball team heading into next season.
Iowa will have three point guards to choose from and that will, of course, lead to some other options for the shooting guard position. Jordan Bohannon returns for his four year as the starting point guard. My sense is he stays there as the starter, but given his ability to shoot the basketball, it does open up the option to move him to the two guard.
That would then mean that Connor McCaffery probably would begin the season as Iowa’s starting point guard while true freshman Joe Toussaint adjusts to the college game. Right now I would say Bohannon stays as the starter, but his minutes at the two guard are probably going to ramp up a bit. Remember, Iowa played Mike Gesell and Anthony Clemmons, two point guards, together in their senior year and that worked pretty well.
While having ten scholarship players can be somewhat limiting, Fran McCaffery has tended to work better with fewer options on the bench. Last year it seemed to help only playing 9 or 10 players and that would be the case this coming season.
As things stand right now, Iowa has three scholarships open. They are currently hosting Notre Dame transfer D.J. Harvey on an official visit. The 6-foot-6 forward averaged 10.2 points per game last season for the Irish and would have to sit one year and have two seasons remaining. He is schedule to visit Vanderbilt right after Iowa and then he is expected to make his decision.
Iowa is also involved with Marquette transfers Sam and Joey Hauser, who would also have to sit out next season as a transfer. They are both wing forwards who measure in around 6-foot-8 and can score and rebound. Sam Hauser 14.9 point and 7.2 rebounds in his junior year and shot 40.2% from three point range. Joey, who played AAU basketball with Joe Wieskamp, finished up his freshman year averaging 9.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. The Hauser’s are among the most highly sought transfers on the market this spring. They have already visited Wisconsin, which is their home state school. They are scheduled to see Michigan State this weekend followed by a trip to Virginia two weekends later. They have listed Iowa as one of their options, but no date for an official visit has been reported.
If Iowa lands all three, then that’s a great haul for the Hawkeyes. However, with Moss leaving it does sort of set up an ideal situation for a graduate transfer to join the Iowa program. Fran McCaffery has never added a graduate transfer during his tenure and many of the best options as far as shooting guards have already picked their next destination, but I think it’s something Iowa should and probably will be exploring.
With the departure of Isaiah Moss, we look at where things stand for Iowa basketball
Tom Kakert • HawkeyeReport.com
@hawkeyereport
If you thought transfer season had come and gone, think again.
On Thursday, Isaiah Moss announced that he would be leaving the Iowa basketball program and play his senior season elsewhere. A year ago, Moss tested the NBA draft waters. This time he’s headed for the transfer portal. Moss was a three year starter for the Hawkeyes and averaged 9.2 points per game this past season and shot 42.1% from three point range.
His departure means that two players from the Iowa roster have transferred. Shortly after the season, Maishe Dailey announced he would be leaving the Iowa program and he recently announced that he was transferring to Akron, which is close to his home in Ohio. Leading scorer Tyler Cook is in the process of testing the NBA Draft process for the second year in a row and isn’t expected to return for his senior season.
It’s also worth mentioning that freshman wing Joe Wieskamp has also put his name into the NBA Draft, but he has not hired an agent and has said he expects to return for his sophomore season.
Iowa also lost Nicholas Baer to the more traditional route of graduation, so there’s been a little bit more turnover or potential turnover than most thought after the season.
The Hawkeyes averaged 78.3 points per game last season. With the departures of Baer, Moss, Dailey, and likely Cook, Iowa has lost 42% of their scoring. No matter how you slice it that’s a fairly significant hit.
There has been a pretty spirited discussion during the off-season about whether Iowa would be better without Cook and now Moss or Dailey on the roster. The answer to that is probably no.
It’s also been suggested that Iowa could be worse without the departed players and that answer is also probably I don’t know.
What I do know is that Iowa basketball will be different next year.
Having Cook and Moss back would certainly help the Hawkeyes. They were two of the better scoring options and in the case of Cook, he commanded a pretty good amount of attention from opposing teams. Moss was certainly up and down at times, but there were some nights where he absolutely kept his team in the game with scoring outbursts.
Iowa could make up for the loss of Cook, at least in terms of the actual numbers, with the remaining big men on the roster. Luka Garza has proven himself in the Big Ten and he’s a legitimate scoring option on the low block and as a shooter in pick and pop situations. This past season he averaged 13.1 points per game and I would expect he will be up over 15 points per game next year.
Ryan Kriener had a really nice junior year and showed flashes of the potential to have a real impact on games. Last season he averaged 6 points per game in Big Ten contests and showed that he and Garza could function very well on the floor together.
The Hawkeyes also have Cordell Pemsl and Jack Nunge returning from redshirt seasons. Pemsl played in two games this past year and averaged 4 points per game. He gave the Hawkeyes a real emotional lift in their win over Iowa State. In his last full season, the junior from Dubuque averaged 5.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in just over 16 minutes per game.
Nunge elected to redshirt last year to add weight and strength to his frame. He did just that, according to Fran McCaffery, and is up to 250 pounds. McCaffery said in Columbus at the NCAA Tournament that Nunge was playing as well as anyone in the team in practice. In his freshman year, Nunge averaged 5.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in just under 16 minutes of action per game.
Combine those two returning players’ totals up and you have 11.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Cook averaged 14.5 points and 7.6 rebounds, so it’s not a stretch to think that both players can reach or exceed Cook’s totals from this past season.
The three backcourt positions are where the greatest intrigue will exist.
Assuming Wieskamp is back, which is pretty safe to assume at this point, he should continue to improve upon his 11.1 points per game average next season. He’s in pen as the starter at the three position for Iowa and will likely be backed up by four star forward Patrick McCaffery, who will join the team this fall. McCaffery still needs to continue to add weight to his frame, but there’s no question he’s a very talented and unselfish player.
The two guard is there the departure of Moss really hurts. He was the starter and redshirt freshman C.J. Fredrick was in line to be his backup. The Iowa coaches really raved about Fredrick as a player and shooter when we talked to them during the NCAA Tournament. Having said that, starting and playing more significant minutes and coming off the bench for 15 minutes a game are two different animals. I think Fredrick can be good, but it’s probably become the biggest unknown for the Iowa basketball team heading into next season.
Iowa will have three point guards to choose from and that will, of course, lead to some other options for the shooting guard position. Jordan Bohannon returns for his four year as the starting point guard. My sense is he stays there as the starter, but given his ability to shoot the basketball, it does open up the option to move him to the two guard.
That would then mean that Connor McCaffery probably would begin the season as Iowa’s starting point guard while true freshman Joe Toussaint adjusts to the college game. Right now I would say Bohannon stays as the starter, but his minutes at the two guard are probably going to ramp up a bit. Remember, Iowa played Mike Gesell and Anthony Clemmons, two point guards, together in their senior year and that worked pretty well.
While having ten scholarship players can be somewhat limiting, Fran McCaffery has tended to work better with fewer options on the bench. Last year it seemed to help only playing 9 or 10 players and that would be the case this coming season.
As things stand right now, Iowa has three scholarships open. They are currently hosting Notre Dame transfer D.J. Harvey on an official visit. The 6-foot-6 forward averaged 10.2 points per game last season for the Irish and would have to sit one year and have two seasons remaining. He is schedule to visit Vanderbilt right after Iowa and then he is expected to make his decision.
Iowa is also involved with Marquette transfers Sam and Joey Hauser, who would also have to sit out next season as a transfer. They are both wing forwards who measure in around 6-foot-8 and can score and rebound. Sam Hauser 14.9 point and 7.2 rebounds in his junior year and shot 40.2% from three point range. Joey, who played AAU basketball with Joe Wieskamp, finished up his freshman year averaging 9.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. The Hauser’s are among the most highly sought transfers on the market this spring. They have already visited Wisconsin, which is their home state school. They are scheduled to see Michigan State this weekend followed by a trip to Virginia two weekends later. They have listed Iowa as one of their options, but no date for an official visit has been reported.
If Iowa lands all three, then that’s a great haul for the Hawkeyes. However, with Moss leaving it does sort of set up an ideal situation for a graduate transfer to join the Iowa program. Fran McCaffery has never added a graduate transfer during his tenure and many of the best options as far as shooting guards have already picked their next destination, but I think it’s something Iowa should and probably will be exploring.
